October 2010

The Archives

• Curry Hill, Giveaway

  Halloween Giveaway – NYC

  10.27.10 | Permalink | 28 Comments

  

  Remember those old ladies that used to give you apples instead of candy on Halloween. Seriously, I wanted to egg those people’s apartments. It was like, ‘Lady, I don’t want your cyanide tainted apples!’ The purple raisin boxes were even worse. I’m sure the little old grannies meant well, but the last thing a child wants on Halloween is fruit. Now as an adult, I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of fruit on Halloween. Especially if that fruit was a persimmon. I love me my persimmons; the crunchy kind (fuyu), the mushy kind (hachiya), and even the dried kind. [For me, dried persimmons are mandatory in a proper soojunggwa (수정과), Korean cinnamon punch.]

  So what about you guys? What fruit wouldn’t you mind getting on Halloween? Submit your answer in the comments and one lucky reader will receive a gorgeous fruit basket from Manhattan Fruitier called the
  Cortland Hamper ($85 retail value). Trust me, you won’t want to egg my apartment after getting this basket. MORE »

• Palisades Park, Restaurants

  Squid & Pork Belly Stir-Fry at Chung Dam Dong – Palisades Park

  10.23.10 | Permalink | 7 Comments

  The first time my family went to Chung Dam Dong (청담동) we left unsatisfied. We had ordered a bulgogi jungol (불고기전골, barbecued beef soup similar to sukiyaki) type of thing even though everyone at the restaurant was eating some sort of spicy stir-fry at the table. Not sure what we were thinking actually. I think we did so to appease a non-pork eating person in the group, but at the end no one was happy. Not even the non-pork eater. The jungol was a compromise in every which way including taste. Banchan (반찬, small sides) had been great, but great banchan can only get you so far (at max, fifteen minutes of happiness). Still, we kept hearing good things about the restaurant, and noticed while other restaurants along Broad Avenue were going out of business, Chung Dam Dong was going strong. Another visit was in order, and then another just to be sure. The verdict? Undeniably delicious as long as you order right. MORE »

• Chinatown, Restaurants

  Hot Crunchy Bits at A-Wah – NYC

  10.15.10 | Permalink | 16 Comments

  I love crunchy rice. Not uncooked rice, but that wonderful golden crust that forms at the bottom of a hot pan or pot when making rice. Korean people call it nooroongji (누룽지), and it’s delicious in any form, Korean or not. Nooroongji is key in dolsot bibimbab (돌솥 비빔밥, bibimbab in a stone pot), paella (nooroongji is referred to as soccarat in Spanish), and also in bo zai fan, Chinese clay pot rice. Recently, I had some really great bo zai fan with lots of crunchy browned rice at A-Wah, a tiny restaurant with only a handful of tables in Chinatown. MORE »

• Bakeries, Chinatown

  Coconut Balls at Lung Moon Bakery – NYC

  10.11.10 | Permalink | 5 Comments

  

  Sometimes the simplest desserts make me happy. Take for instance the coconut balls ($1.50 for a bag of eight) at Lung Moon Bakery, an old-school Chinese bakery on Mulberry Street that sells mooncakes all year round. The chewy, slightly sweet orbs of toasty coconut aren’t made with much more than sugar and shredded coconut, but sometimes that’s all you need. Some people will buy these and complain they don’t taste like macaroons, so before you do, let me tell you now, these aren’t macaroons. There’s nothing cake-like about them. These are for when you pig-out somewhere in Chinatown and are at the brink of exploding, but still want something sweet to eat. Not much, just a little something. And since there’s eight in a bag, after you have your fill, you’ll still have some leftover when afternoon munchies hit the next day. MORE »

• Flatiron, Restaurants, Small Shops, Specialty Markets

  Dinner & Dessert at Eataly – NYC

  10.05.10 | Permalink | 9 Comments

  Eataly — the 50,000 square foot Italian food hall by Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, and Lidia Bastianich — is becoming one of my favorite places in New York. If you haven’t been yet, I always tell people it’s like an Italian version of Mitsuwa (Yaohan for you old-schoolers that can’t accept change), but more cramped. If you’re not familiar with the Japanese marketplace in New Jersey, it’s like Whole Foods combined with a fancy food court. Or better yet, a food court for old people. Eataly isn’t perfect. Layout is problematic; dining areas are haphazardly scattered about, so it’s not unusual to have your table bumped by a cart as the driver rounds the corner to the fresh pasta case. People bumping is also common. On my last visit, I was treated to a show when two couples got into a shouting match over one party getting pushed by the other. But if you can get beyond the crazed environment, a great meal plus dessert can be easily had. MORE »